1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) apparatus, and more particularly to an LCD apparatus having metal chassis to reduce the size and weight of the LCD apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An LCD apparatus, in general, is a display apparatus for displaying images using liquid crystal. The LCD apparatus has advantages such as lighter weight and smaller size in comparison with a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display apparatus.
The LCD apparatus is generally divided into a liquid crystal controlling part for controlling the liquid crystal and a light supplying part for supplying light to the liquid crystal.
The liquid crystal controlling part includes an LCD panel for displaying images and a driving module for driving the LCD panel. The LCD panel includes a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) substrate, liquid crystal and a color filter substrate. The TFT substrate is a transparent glass substrate on which TFTs are disposed in association with a voltage providing line and a first electrode. Each of the TFTs includes a gate electrode, a channel layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The first electrode is made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide) and disposed corresponding to each of drain electrodes of the TFTs. The voltage providing line includes gate lines and data lines to provide a driving signal to the TFTs. The gate lines are disposed corresponding to columns of the TFTs, and each of the gate lines provides a gate turn-on signal to the TFTs arranged in a column direction. The data lines are disposed corresponding to rows of the TFTs, and each of the data lines provides a data signal to the TFTs arranged in a row direction. The driving module receives an image signal generated from an external information-processing device and generates the driving signal to timely apply the driving signal to the gate and data lines. The color filter substrate combined to the TFT substrate includes a transparent substrate, a color filter and a second electrode. The color filter includes a red color filter, a green color filter and a blue color filter disposed on the transparent substrate in a matrix configuration. The second electrode made of the ITO or IZO is disposed over the transparent substrate to cover the color filter. The second electrode receives a predetermined reference voltage, so that an electric field is applied between the first and second electrodes. The liquid crystal is interposed between the color filter substrate and TFT substrate.
The light supplying part includes a middle receiving container, a bottom receiving container, a light guide plate, a lamp assembly and an optical sheet. The lamp assembly employs a CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) for generation the light. The light guide plate receives the light from the lamp and changes optical properties and light path of the light. The bottom receiving container provides a receiving space in which the lamp assembly and light guide plate are received. The optical sheet is disposed on the light guide plate and controls brightness distribution of the light emitted from the light guide plate. The middle receiving container is combined to the bottom receiving container to fix the LCD panel to the bottom receiving container. The LCD panel is fixed to the middle receiving container by a top chassis combined to the middle and bottom receiving containers.
Generally, the bottom and middle receiving containers are made of synthetic resin using an injection-molding manner. In order to form the bottom and middle receiving containers using the injection-molding manner, the bottom and middle receiving containers need a thickness of at least 0.4 mm. The bottom and middle receiving containers, generally, have a thickness of 0.4 mm at a first portion, where little strength is needed and a thickness of 1.2 mm to 1.5 mm at a second portion where certain strength is necessary. Also, the bottom and middle receiving containers are contracted at the time of cooling melted synthetic resin, and the first and second portions of the bottom and middle receiving containers each have a different contractile rate. As a result, the bottom and middle receiving containers are easily distorted in a manufacturing process.
Further, the bottom and middle receiving containers made of the synthetic resin have low heat conductivity, so that it is difficult to control a light transmittance of the liquid crystal because the liquid crystal is liquidized by heat emitted from the lamp assembly.